Red Mullet Escabeche Recipe- Original Fish

Red Mullet Escabeche

Main course for 4 people

Since Roman times, people have been treasured the red mullet—and for good reason. With its delicate flavour and distinctive character, it remains one of the most remarkable fish. In this dish, it meets another rare and precious ingredient: saffron. This pairing feels like destiny, as if nature itself designed them to be together. Taste red mullet escabeche for yourself and let the magic unfold.

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Ingredents

1 fennel
1 shallot
1 red chilli pepper
1 carrot
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 pinch saffron threads (e.g. Sari Safran from the Armenian highlands)
1 tsp coarsely ground pink pepper
1 dl olive oil
3 dl vegetable stock
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt, pepper
4 small red mullets with skin
salt, pepper
1 tbsp flour

Method

For the escabèche marinade, prepare the fennel, shallot, chilli and carrot and cut into thin slices Press the garlic cloves
Sauté together with the bay leaf, saffron and pink pepper in 2/3 of the olive oil. Pour in the stock and vinegar, season to taste and simmer for about eight minutes. Allow the marinade to cool to lukewarm
Season the fish and dust the skin side with flour. Fry in the remaining olive oil over a medium heat until crispy on the skin side only. Place the fish in the escabèche marinade and leave to marinate for a while. Season with fennel herb.

Ralph’s tip:
– Carefully pour the flour over the fish using a tea strainer
– This method also has a preservative aspect due to the oil-vinegar mixture and the fish can be kept in the fridge for several days, it only becomes more flavourful with longer marinating.
– The excess oil marinade can also be used as a salad dressing with a little more vinegar or lemon juice added.
– Also suitable for scallops, prawns, rabbit, etc. Enjoy cold or warmed in the marinade